BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The Federal Government has expressed its readiness to implement cashless tolling system for Abuja-Keffi Expressway in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu-led administration to revolutionise road infrastructure development and stimulate economic growth.
Minister of Works, Engr. Nweze David Umahi stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the inauguration of a committee that will fastrack the implementation of cashless tolling system and dualisation of Keffi-Akwanga-Markurdi road.
The cashless tolling system is a strategic programme under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), aimed at promoting strong and sustainable transportation ecosystem.
News Rider reports that a portion of Keffi-Akwanga-Markurdi was executed by China Harbour Limited through EPC + F, and funded up to 85 percent by China Exim Bank, while the Federal Government paid 15 percent of its counterpart funding.
Part of the agreement was that the Chinese construction company would toll the road and recoup the money, to enable the Federal Government pay back the loan segment of the project.
Umahi commended President Tinubu for the vast economic recovery initiatives of the renewed hope agenda, and was optimistic that the committee would leverage on ideals of the Terms Of Reference (TOR) to develop a robust masterplan towards the realisation of the economic and social objectives of the HDMI.
He noted that the HDMI was institutionalised to pave the way for sustainable private sector investment and to improve the quality and quantity of the road assets in Nigeria, with a view to propelling rapid economic development.
The TOR includes developing cashless tolling system implementation framework, making appropriate recommendation on the potentials of relief stations and good physical environment along the corridors, and proffering practical solution to the challenges of implementing cashless toll collection in Nigeria.
Umahi added: "We must also, as part of the assignment, develop relief stations. Relief stations are what you see in overseas' expressways, where you have a lot of stations supermarket, small clinic, security outfits, and a number of other facilities, including parks, wheel lorries, and vehicles park, and tow vans.
"The idea of Mr. President is that we should have a maximum of 10 minutes of response time on our highways, meaning that in the full development of this route, part of the assignment will be how we can install CCTV cameras, and also have solar light all through the entire route of the project.
"And so, we will be able to put security on our roads, and then we have a station at the relief center, where they will stay and watch the vehicles, so that within 10 minutes of any incident along the route, the security people will be able to be there within 10 minutes response time. This is the idea of Mr. President, and for our major highways."
The committee members were drawn from the Federal Ministries of Works, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Justice, as well as Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
Head of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the ministry, Mrs. Nnennaya Ugwu-Chima stated that the inauguration was part of the statutory responsibilities of the ministry, designed to attract private sector funding for the development and management of Federal road network through the HDMI.
The HDMI is expected to introduce orderliness, accountability, and profitable entrepreneurship to the operations, management, and maintenance of Federal Highways.
Ugwu-Chima revealed that the plans are in consistent with the provisions of the ICRC Establishment Act 2005; National Policy on Public-Private Partnership (“N4P”); Federal Roads and Bridges Tolling Policy of August 2021 and Federal Highways Act CAP. 135, 1971, which granted the minister of works the power to administer tolls on Federal highways.
In her acceptance speech, Head of PPP, Federal Ministry of Finance, Hajiya Jummai Katagum thanked Engr Umahi for the opportunity to serve the nation.
She described the scope of the assignment as onerous, assuring the profound commitment of the committee to the assignment given to them.
"As we all know, infrastructure is the root for development, and among the sectors of infrastructure, transportation is one of the most important sectors.
"Without transportation, things will slow down, and we need to open up roads everywhere as we all know that particularly in Nigeria, transportation is one of the main means of movement for people, goods, animals and everything.
"So, it's a sector that is very important in the development of a nation. We will do our very best to make sure that we contribute to the success of this project," Katagum added.
A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji revealed that Hajiya Jummai Katagum; and her works counterpart, Mrs Nnennaya Ugwu-Chima will serve as the Chairman and Secretary respectively.
The committee is expected to submit its findings within two weeks of the inauguration.
Briefly
In 2023, former President Olusegun Obasanjo announced that toll gates on Federal roads should be abolished due to skirmishes surrounding the system.
He argued that N63 million generated daily from tolling was insignificant and that the facilities constituted nuisance to motorists and bolstered corruption.
But during former President Muhammadu Buhari's regime, the former Minister of Works & Housing, Babatunde Fashola made a case for the reintroduction of toll gates in November 2017. He maintained that funds generated from tolling would be used to maintain Federal highways all-year-round.
Aside the Abuja-Keffi Expressway, the current minister of works, Engr Dave Umahi had in April 2024, announced that the Federal Government would charge at least N3,000 per toll gate when the Lagos-Calabar coastal road is completed.
However, the reintroduction of toll gates is part of the Federal Government's plans to generate massive revenue from the non-oil sector, given the dwindling revenue from the sales of petroleum products.
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